Gears
by Sammi-neechan
Summary: Like the gears of a clock they continue their motions, churning slowly and obediently through the days. As their springs are wound tighter and tighter, they seek solace from the tension in each others arms. Kakashi/Sakura. AUish.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** I wanted to say that this story was partly inspired by SilverShine's amazing story Scarlet Scroll. The darker tones and exploration of a Danzo ruled Konoha really struck a cord in me and made me want to explore similar themes. Thank you Silvershine, for inspiring me so. That said, this story will be slightly AU, so please don't eat me for any changes I make. I love the manga to bits and pieces but I really wanted to experiment with this set of events.

Also, I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Rain was almost always depressing, but it was especially so on gray, dreary mornings. There was no hint of sunshine, or green life outside the window to give hope that the clouds would part and the rest of the day would be bright and enjoyable. It was getting towards winter now. What green life that was left in Konoha was now brown and dying. Each day the temperature had dropped lower and lower, causing the populous to break out their winter clothing earlier than expected. All signs pointed towards a hard winter ahead of Fire Nation. As if times weren't hard enough?

Sighing, Sakura turned away from the window and snuggled up closer to her silver-haired bed fellow, enjoying the warmth and comfort his body offered her. The cherry blossom had developed a deep, almost irrational hatred for rainy days. It was a day just like this, two years ago, that everything had changed. Now all gloomy and wet days did was remind her of the past and the day Konoha had begun to change from a land of fire and life, to one of darkness and slow decay.

_Naruto's triumph over Pain had spread hope through out the devastated village of Konohagakure. Surely, with Akatsuki defeated the village could regain it's former glory. No one had any doubts about their future, nor did they have any doubts that Tsunade would recuperate and their great Hokage would lead them once again into a time of peace and prosperity._

_How foolish it was for them to hope._

_The council had waited three days for Tsunade to recover and when she reminded in a coma they began discussing potential new Hokages. Yes Tsunade was still alive, but how could she lead a village while in a coma? The Leaf Village needed leadership now! Especially considering the crisis they currently faced. When Hatake Kakashi had been brought up as a potential candidate, no one despaired. Surely the council would see him as a man worthy of the position and they would have a good, if not slightly lazy and perverted, leader to help them start towards a new future._

_So when it was announced that Shimura Danzo would be the Rokudaime, the village was left stunned. Few outside of ROOT had expected such an outcome and with it came a loud cry of protest. But argue as the Jounin may, the elders were unyielding for it had been the Daimyo to choose Danzo for Hokage and they were powerless against such a decision. So with great reluctance the Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf accepted Danzo as their new leader, even Naruto who knew of the old war hawk's grudge against him simply for being the fox's host. Naruto's recognition of the new Hokage encouraged others to accept Danzo too and perhaps it was for this reason that Danzo didn't immediately make any attempts on his life._

_The Rokudaime's first decree was the rebuilding of Konoha, a task that all people of the village, civilian and shinobi alike, took part in. Even with the help of Yamato and the aid of their allied villages the reconstruction of their home took them over a year to accomplish. In that year, Danzo appeared to be a fairly decent Hokage. He was fair, he helped with the rebuilding and he kept in constant communication with the jounin, considering their opinions on important matters and even enacting some into policy. Some of his decisions even made him quite popular with the civilians. After all it was he who suggested that civilian homes and Shinobi lodgings be built separate from each other to to help avoid loss of civilian life. He assured them that their businesses would still received shinobi customers as well, for the two halves would be connected by a grand market street in which all places of business would be rebuilt. Though the suggestion could have been viewed as segregation, very few rebuked the idea. It was reasonable many said, even logical. Danzo was gaining their trust._

_Through out the rebuilding of Konoha, Tsunade remained unconscious and unresponsive but Danzo had made sure she was under constant medical attention by top medics, including Shizune and Sakura themselves. They would take shifts with the other medics to watch over the Godaime while they too helped rebuild the village. They lovingly tended to their master and friend, positive that any day now she would awaken. On the day that marked the grand reopening of the Hidden Leaf village, the duo decided to trade their morning shifts with other medics so they could attend the festivities and return later in the night to tell Tsunade all about them._

_The festivals were grand indeed, though a few of the older jounin were left to wonder exactly how the village could have afford such extravagance. Such thoughts were not dwelled upon however as the celebration served as a much needed outlet for a year of frustration, depression and difficulty. Later in the evening, Danzo stood upon a modest stage and called all people of the village to him so he could deliver a speech unto the people about their future. Before he could begin however, a shinboi dressed in black attire and a porcelain mask darted up to the Hokage and whispered a message. For a moment Danzo said nothing before straightening his stance._

_"Would Shizune and Haruno Sakura please meet me in B-wing of the hospital." With that he left the stage much to the shock and curiosity of the people._

_Many faces quickly turned towards the two woman, who had been enjoying the festival together with members of Team 7. Having lost a bit of color in their faces the pair regarded each other with concern. B-Wing was where Tsunade was being cared for._

_"Better not keep him waiting then." Kakashi's voice broke over the pair, pulling them from their stupor._

_"But...what if..?" Sakura worried her lip as she looked up to her sensei._

_Smiling softly through his mask, Kakashi placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "I'm sure everything is fine. Now get going you two."_

_Kakashi's words were comforting, but deep down Sakura couldn't help but worry. Why else would they have been singled out like that if not for some urgent purpose pertaining towards Tsunade?_

_With chakra enhanced bounds, they covered the distance to the new hospital quickly. They dashed pasts stands of sparkling trinkets and children playing games. They leapt up the side of a building and hastened across the roof tops, refusing to stop until they had come skidding into B-wing, gasping for breath. Sakura's stomach did a flip, Danzo was standing outside of Tsunade's room. Dread consumed her and no thought went into her actions, before the cherry blossom realized it she was running down the hall with Shizune on her heels. Seeing them, Danzo stepped to the side but held out his arm out, as if to__ dissuade them from entering the room._

_"Ladies please...perhaps it would be best if I-" they ran right past him. Usually no one dared show such insolence towards the Hokage but their hearts were too consumed with fear to give a mind about proper conduct._

_Halting in front of Tsunade's bed, Sakura swayed and grabbed the foot board for support. Behind her she heard Shizune gag._

_Before them laid their master, their leader. Only her skin was ashen and there were purple and green patches all along her body. Some of them had even begun to split, weeping blood and puss onto the sheets. Suddenly the room was far too hot, far too small. Over come with dizziness, Sakura fell to her knees but even then she couldn't tear her eyes from the body. This wasn't real. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be Tsunade laying dead before her._

_With her eyes locked on the body of her mentor, her second mother, she missed Danzo enter the room. But Shizune didn't. She had whirled around the second she saw the body. Perhaps Danzo had not been expecting that. When he entered she spotted the smallest of satisfied smirks on his face. Immediately she leapt at the man._

_"I knew it you bastard! It was you. IT WAS YOU! It's been a scheme this whole time, hasn't? I'll killed you. I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Suddenly the room was full of masked ROOT members, who seemed to materialize right out the walls, grabbing Shizune by the waist and arms, hauling her away from the Hokage. Sakura jumped to her feet but found herself softly restrained from running to Shizune by another ROOT agent._

_"Shizune..what...what are you saying?" She didn't struggle against the hands on her shoulders, she didn't think she could have even if she wanted to._

_"Sakura, it was him! I saw it! I saw that damn smirk! YOU KILLED TSUNADE-SAMA! I'LL TELL EVERYONE! NO ONE WILL FOLLOW YOU NOW!" A hysterical pitch had leaked into the older woman's voice and Sakura realized with a start that she crying._

_Looking from her friend to her Hokage, the kunoichi did not know how to react. She knew Shizune, she was one of her closest friends and she was certainly not prone to fits of hysteria. Sadness, Grief. Those she had seen but no matter the situation she had never once observed this woman become anything close to hysterical. Looking again to the body of her shishou, Sakura worried her bottom lip. The pain helped her think a bit more clearly. In her heart, she believed Shizune with every fiber of her being but if she reacted as the other woman now she would only find herself being restrained by a herd of highly trained ROOT ops._

_Turning to Danzo, she bowed deeply. "My apologies Hokage-sama, Shizune is clearly in a state of shock over the death of our shishou." Shizune choose that moment to yell loudly "What the fuck are you saying Sakura? Kill him!"_

_Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, the medic-nin reminded bowed. "Please...how did this happen to Tsunade-shishou?"_

_Danzo watched her carefully, clearly considering his words. Or perhaps she simply had not reacted according to his expectations? After a moment he spoke in his usual soft drawl. "It would seem as if a highly venomous snake found it's way into her room. No doubt placed by an enemy shinobi looking to disturb the moral of the recently uplifted citizens. Resorting to such an old fashioned trick also made the threat undetectable until it was to late. I blame myself entirely of course. I should have been more vigilant." His voice sounded so sincere but while the tone itself was gentle and comforting the words felt hollow. He was lying, and Sakura's fists clenched at the realization._

_"You see! He admits it! Take his head off Sakura!"_

_In truth, she was tempted to do just that but she had no other proof but her gut feeling and the word of a grieving co-worker and those were not good enough reasons to commit treason and kill their Hokage._

_"I..see..." Sakura let out tightly. "If you would allow it, please grant us our leave. I think Shizune and I...need some time to come to terms with this."_

_"Of course Haruno-san, though I'm afraid I'll have to have Shizune escorted out. I do believe she would most sincerely like to attack me and I'm sure you wouldn't want your dear friend locked up for assaulting the Hokage."_

_"Of course not Hokage-sama." Sakura rose from her bow and looked to Shizune, pleading with her eyes to the woman that she remain silent. By the grace of the Gods, Shizune had closed her mouth but was now fixing Danzo with the most murderous glared the pink-haired girl had ever seen._

_They were escorted out of the hospital by the ROOT squad and then left alone in the cool air of the night. In the background they could hear the continued sound of the festivities. For now the village was still ignorant to the death of the Godaime. Every few moments a bright burst of light would decorate the sky, followed by a thunderous boom, bathing the silent duo in reds and golds. Turning to her friend, Sakura opened her mouth to speak._

_SMACK!_

_The slap took her by surprised and Shizune had certainly not held back. Completely taken aback, she stared in disbelief at Shizune with a look of hurt in her jade eyes. Rubbing the tender flesh of her assaulted cheek Sakura could only watch as Shizune gave her dark look before storming off into the night._

_It would be the last time they ever saw each other._

_News of Tsunade's death spread through the village like wild fire and Sakura refused to leave her apartment for days. Every time she went outside she was hounded with questions about her shishou's death. It was to much for her handle. If wasn't for Kakashi and Naruto bringing her groceries and keeping her company, she wouldn't have survived the week._

_There were talks of treachery among many of the Jounin, especially those whose loyalty had always been to the Godaime. But Danzo had worked hard to secure the trust of many of the Shinobi during the rebuilding of Konoha and he was defended adamantly by them._

_Slowly, the hurt and despair over Tsunade's murder began to settle and things quieted down once again in the Leaf Village. Summer slowly changed into autumn and on a particularly rainy, gloomy day, all Shinobi of all rank were called to the Hokage Tower to receive an important decree from the Danzo himself. Excitement, curiosity and even nervousness ran high among the crowd of ninja as they waited for the arrival of their leader._

_When Danzo came, with him followed the entire council and that alone caused some of the jounin to glance nervously at each other. The younger ninja had no idea how bad of a sign such an occurrence was._

_"Greetings Shinobi of the great Konohagakure. I thank you all for your attendance today." Danzo settled himself into a rather ornate looking chair that had been carried onto the stage by four ROOT members._

_"I have gathered you here today to announce to you a very important decree the elders and I have decided upon as of last night." He sat in the chair with his legs spread slightly, arms upon the almost tacky arm rests. He looked like a king on a throne._

_"In light of the teachings and beliefs of previous, softer Hokages," a murmur ran through the crowd at these words. "We have decided to strip all kunoichi's of their titles." Disgruntled gasps and cries broke out among those gathered but Danzo continued on as if he had not heard them. "All medics may choose to remind in the field however they will be restricted to hospital work only and will no longer be considered Shinobi, as such they will receive only civilian pay. However I am a fair, caring Hokage," he said this faint sneer to his voice, "and as such I will allow all kunoichi the chance to reclaim their titles through a series of new tests."_

_Shocked silence proceeded his decree. They were all to dumbfounded to truly process and respond to what the Hokage had just announced._

_"Are you fucking kidding me?" a loud yell from the far corner demanded. The voice almost certainly belonged to Anko._

_"No, I am quite serious." Danzo drawled. "The elders and I have discussed this issue at length and we have decided that the current generations of kunoichi are much to soft for Konoha's standards. They have forgotten their places and their true jobs of espionage and assassination."_

_"You're insane."_

_"These aren't the dark ages!"_

_"You can't expect us to go along with this!"_

_"Oh but I do." Danzo spoke in the same, unconcerned drawl. "You see, you have no choice in the matter. The elders have already agreed and anyone who does not agree can take it up with one of my captains here." He gestured with his unbandaged arm to a line of black cloaked, masked men who stood behind his 'throne'. Some were spinning kunai lazily, as if daring some one to challenge the Hokage's word._

_There was more shouting and cursing towards Danzo but he simply rose from his seat and left the stage, the elders trailing behind him like the lap dogs they were. It was clear there would be no arguing this change. But just because no one fought during the meeting did not mean they didn't fight at all. For several days small skirmish's broke out around the Shinobi quarters, all of them involving scorned kunoichi. ROOT agents were immediately dispatched to resolve the protests. Those who did not surrender were killed, mercilessly._

_The news of the first kunoichi death was only a rumor on the tips of everyone's tongues until a younger chunin dared to assault a ROOT member. In the view of at least a dozen shinobi she was dispatched and killed quite violently, her body left in the street as an example to all._

_This did nothing but fuel the fires of course._

_Uzuki Yūgao, a well respected female member of ANBU was one of the most vocal of the protesters. It was spread by word of mouth that it was she who had organized and lead the protests against Danzo's decree. Before the eyes some of the most elite to even a few young genin she dared to stand against two ROOT Captains. The ensuing fight was one that became legend among even the Konoha civilians. She fought against the ROOT captains like a lioness with nothing to lose. She proved to all that stood before her that day that she was just as good as any ROOT captain and when she beheaded one it was of no surprise that the crowed cheered for her._

_But in a spray of blood the battle ended. While Yūgao faced off against the remaining ROOT Captain, another agent darted forward from the shadows. She sensed him behind her in enough time to turn, but it was to late, his sword pierced her shoulder. As the cold steel bit through her flesh she let out a blood curling cry of pain and frustration._

_"You cowards." she whispered just before the Captain behind her swung his sword forward and rent her head from her shoulders. With a sickening thud, it hit the ground and the captain proceed to stab his sword through the skull. For the rest of the day he walked around the shinobi quarter with his sword slung over his shoulder, Yūgao's head skewered upon it._

_After that, the kunoichi stopped rebelling. Some, such as Kurenai who had her infant child to consider, faded quietly into the background, having no medical talents they chose lives as civilians. Hinata herself almost walked away from the village entirely and probably would have if it hadn't been for her obligations to her clan. Ino and a number of other medics decided to simply work at the hospital, for they reasoned any tests that Danzo would put them through would be far worse then living off of civilian pay._

_Still others, like Sakura, chose to fight to regain their titles and perhaps restore some hope and pride to the kunoichi community. Of thirty-odd kunoichi who applied to become genin, only nineteen of them were granted the rank. As a test of their power, they were put in a ring one on one against a particularly nasty ROOT captain, known to be in several bingo books, and told to survive ten minutes. It was easily harder than any chuunin exam anyone in the group had faced and some did not come away from it with their lives._

_As for the rank of chuunin, only four of the sixteen that applied for the rank received it. The test for Chuunin was to fight against Danzo himself and survive for one minute. Though he, being the fair and kind Hokage that he was, refrained from killing any of the participants though one had to be admitted to the hospital and enrolled into intense psychotherapy due to a particular nasty genjutsu._

_If the test for Chuunin was surviving against the Hokage himself...what could they possibly have expected of the kunoichi to become jounin? When Sakura found out, she almost considered fleeing the village. Upon applying for the rank of jounin, the cherry blossom found herself whisked away to the Hokage Tower by a squad of ROOT members within hours. She was nervous and even a little bit scared, but she had to do this. She had to succeed. What would Tsunade think of her if she didn't?_

_Silently she was escorted into the Hokage's chamber. It was so different from the days when it was occupied by Tsunade. Before had it been a warm, if not slightly intimidating place. Now the barren room was strewn with nothing but maps and folders making it feel cold and uninviting. It almost made the medic-nin want to shiver. Sitting behind a desk much to ornate for the blandness of the room sat the Hokage whose single eye seemed to gleam with amusement at the sight of her. Reaching into the drawer off to the side, Danzo withdraw a rolled bundle of paper and with a cocky smirk, handed Sakura a seemingly ordinary mission scroll. " I'm not sure if you were informed," he spoke, as she curled her delicate fingers around the rolled up parchment. "But this mission much be completed upon pain of death." Sakura's eyes jerked upwards to meet his as a cold shock ran through her. Quickly remembering her manners she directed them to the floor once again._

_This only made Danzo smirk wider. "We can't have everyone thinking they can apply for jounin, fail and get away with it, now can we?" The cherry blossom's sweaty hand tightened around the scroll. So that's how this game was going to be played?_

_"Of course Danzo-sama." she choked out._

_Once again Sakura was left the feeling that she had not reacted as Danzo had expected and was excused from his presence. As calmly as she could manage the cherry blossom left the audience room. She didn't want that crippled git to see how upset she was, but as she marched down the stairs of the tower her blood began to boil. Who did that old badger think he was? How dare he treat her this way! Sakura Haruno, the Sannin's own apprentice! She had half a mind to stuff this scroll in a trash can and tell him to fuck off. Actually, she was tempted to do just that. Upon sighting the first trash can, she marched right up to it and almost threw the scroll in the bin until she became very aware of the fact the she was being watched._

_"No.."she thought to herself. "I can't let him win. I can do this. I HAVE to do this." After a few slow, even breaths the medic-nin took a seat on a nearby bench and allowed herself a few moments to enjoy the feel of the breeze and the sounds of the children playing in the park. Once her mind was settled she unrolled the scroll and began to read. At first her face paled and then it turned a bright, furious red and her fingers itched with the temptation to tear the scroll to pieces. She should have just thrown the damn thing away!_

_Printed in black ink, as if it were any other mission, were the following words:_

_**Haruno Sakura;**_

_**Your mission to achieve jounin rank is to seduce one Hatake Kakashi. DNA evidence will be collected by a ROOT appointed medical professional upon the completion of this mission to prove the legitimacy of your success. If you do not complete this mission or disregard it, you will be executed in full view of the village.**_

_**While on this mission, you are not to inform the target of your intent, as this is meant to be a test of your skills in the area of seduction and espionage, two skills all future kunoichi of Konoha will be required master.**_

_**You have one month to complete this mission.**_

_With a fierce growl of frustration she shoved the mission scroll into her back pocket and began to march furiously towards her apartment. She had heard Suna was great this time of year._

A soft yawn pulled Sakura from her memories and suddenly she realized at some point she had started crying. Quickly dabbing her eyes with the bank of her hands, she fixed a smile on her face as her companion rolled onto his back, looking up at her with a sleepy charcoal eye.

"Sakura?...is the roof l-l-l," he gave a great yawn "leaking again?"

A softer, more real smile graced her lips as she ran her fingers slowly through his wild, silver mane. "No Kakashi, you must be imaging it."

He looked slightly confused and almost as if he didn't believe her but he was to tired to argue. "Shouldn't we get up now?" Though as soon as he asked the question, Kakashi turned and snuggled his head against Sakura's chest, letting out another sleepy yawn.

"You're the birthday boy, so it's your choice."

But he had already chosen because within moments he had fallen back to sleep. Continuing to run her fingers through his hair, Sakura hummed softly to herself. She hated rainy days, but at least she had someone to share them with.


	2. Chapter 2

One never truly realized how often there was cause for celebration until the ability to celebrate had been taken away. In the old days, it seemed as if there was always a reason to celebrate: the success of a mission, a birthday, a wedding, some holiday, another day of life. Now there was hardly any celebrating at all.

The curtailment of kunoichi was only the beginning of a series of unjust, demoralizing and oppressive decree's handed down by Danzo. Several months after his controversial decision regarding all female ninja, it was announced by one of the Hokage's ever faithful ROOT captains that shinobi would no longer be allowed to celebrate most festivals. Danzo had decided that such celebrations only caused shinobi to be tempted by foul distractions that could compromise their efficiency during missions. In fact the Rokudaime had extended this limitation to all acts of revelry with the curious exception of birthdays.

Of course these limitations were not leveled towards civilians. They were allowed to celebrate anything in any manner they wished. The Hokage worked very hard in fact to keep the civilians happy and distracted, lest they began to sense the webs of martial law that were being spun about them.

But today was not a day to linger on such thoughts, because there was a party to attend. One that was being held in the honor of the famous Copy-Nin Hatake Kakashi himself. One that they were running very, very late to.

"I thought it was the woman's job to make the man late for everything!" Sakura huffed as she walked behind Kakashi, pushing against his back and marching him up the street.

"But Sakuraaa-chaaan, it's raining out." Kakashi whined in a tone quite unbecoming of someone turning thirty.

"Don't Sakura-chan me Hatake! You know damn well how much this means to everyone." She continued to push him forward. Despite his verbal protests he made no real attempt at escaping and being a master of over a 1,000 jutsu he could certainly escape her grasp if he wanted too.

Truth be told, he did realized how much a simple party like this meant to everyone left in the village and while he inwardly cringed at the idea of turning thirty if a party to mark this ghastly occasion would put a smile of the faces of his friend's and comrade's he would endure it like the renown shinobi he was.

"If you don't hurry up my make up is going to run and I'll look like the Kazekage's long lost sister."

"Hmm, I think you'd look cute with tanuki eyes." Kakashi remarked.

"Argh! You're insufferable sometimes!" She threw her arms up in exasperation which took Kakashi by surprise. While he hadn't _really_ been physically protesting, he was more than content to just let her push him along. So with her arms so suddenly gone he found himself staring up into a gray sky, against a cool ground with even cooler water seeping into the back of his shirt.

For a moment there was a strong silence that was only punctured by the soft, wet patter of the rain against the ground, then a nervous giggled sounded followed by a few chuckles that soon developed into a heartfelt laugh.

"Well, I never!" Kakashi responded in mock indignation.

This only caused Sakura to laugh harder until she was on her knees and holding her hands against a stitch in her side. "Oh the look on your face! You should have seen it!"

"You should see yours." He responded, sitting up. "Your make up is running dear."

"Oh shut up." She wheezed. The cherry blossom was still trying to catch her breath from her hysterical fit of laughter.

Looking at her, Kakashi couldn't help but smile. Her features were a light with joy , a soft blush peppered across her checks in the aftermath of her mirth. She looked like she had in her younger years, before the weight of this new world had pulled her down and grounded away her happiness until it was but a distance memory. To have witnessed this very moment was better than any birthday present he could receive.

Sliding next to her, he leaned forward and nuzzled her face, kissing the tip of her nose softly before capturing her lips in a tender embrace with his own. Even through his mask he could feel how soft and supple they were.

Pulling back from her lover she graced him with one more smile before the after glow of laughter began to fade from her green orbs and they grew jaded once again. The moment was over, but Kakashi would cherish it for the rest of his days.

"We really should be getting to the party…"

"Right." Kakashi said. With all the grace he naturally possessed he rose to his feet, pulling Sakura up with him. Together they resumed their damp walk forward.

Even though the party was for the great Hatake Kakashi it was still very understated. These days you didn't want to run the risk of getting to rowdy and being caught by wandering ROOT patrols. Such encounters never ended well. However, since it was a thirtieth birthday celebration it had been decided that sneaking in a few bottles of sake, courtesy of Genma, was a risk worth taking.

The only depressing aspect of walking into a party for Sakura was the realization of how few of the people she actually _knew_ were left. There was no Hinata or Tenten, no Shino or Shizune. The list went on and seemed to be growing every month these days, but the missing face that haunted her the most was that of a loud mouthed blonde with whiskered cheeks and a bold attitude.

"Ah Sakura!" greeted a high-pitched voice, "You look like a drowned rat. I must say it's an improvement from your usual appearance."

"Ino-pig!" Sakura cried in response, "You look as is if you've swallowed an elephant!"

Despite the teasing, the two girls embraced tightly or as tightly as Ino's bulging belly would allow. Leaning down, Sakura began rubbing circles against the blonde's stomach.

"Don't worry little ones, I'm sure you'll be nothing like your pig-faced mother here." she cooed softly.

Ino only smiled wider. "I'm still getting used to the idea that I'm having twins. Can you believe that?"

"I still can't believe you're even having children!" The two laughed.

"I suppose it was only a matter of time. Since I've become a civilian I'll have all the time in the world to be a stay at home mom."

Sakura tried not to frown at her words and seeing the distress they had caused her friend Ino waved towards the plush red couch she had just vacated. "Come on, have a seat and dry off. We have so much to catch up on!"

The rest of the night was spent sipping sake and retelling stories of their more youthful days. Despite his earlier protests of not wanting to attend, Kakashi became the center of attention when he began retelling stories of his great escapades during the third secret war. This enthralled many of the younger ninja in attendance who had only heard fragments of the jounin's mysterious past.

Becoming jealous of the sway Kakashi seemed to hold over the younger shinobi and their remarks of "how cool" he was and how "amazing" his achievements were, a drunken Guy decided to dub himself the Green Fairy of Spring and began to douse everyone in the "rain of youth." The rain was provided courtesy of a sake bottle.

Clearly the forbidden liquor was starting to get to everyone so before anyone else got it in their heads to declare themselves a fairy, hugs and hands shakes went around and farewells were had. Though the clock said it was well after midnight, it seemed as if things were ending far to soon.

"Will you be okay walking home Sakura?" Ino stood in the doorway of her home and eyed Kakashi wearily. He kept swaying from side to side, like a tree continuously caught in a strong wind.

"I'll be fine. I'll come back for all his presents tomorrow." With a nod to her dear friend, she took her former sensei by the hand and began to lead him home. At least the rain had stopped.

"Be careful Sakura!" Ino called to their fading silhouettes. These days you could never be sure of what was roaming around the shinobi district at night.

The walk back to Kakashi's apartment was not a long one in terms of distance but his drunken stupor was making it difficult to go five steps without having to pause to let him catch his balance.

"Sakura…you should see all these pretty stars."

Without even looking to see which way his head way facing, the medic-nin replied. "Those aren't stars, they're spots."

"Oh…"He was silent for a moment, "Well…they're still pretty."

A snide remark died on her lips as she heard the crunching of gravel beneath a boot up a head. Though the night was chill from the evenings rain a cool sweat broke out along her spine. All types of nasty ROOT agents were known to prowl the ninja district.

Taking a deep breath the cherry blossom started forward but she hadn't made it three steps before two shadows seem to materialize out of the night itself. She hated it when they did that.

"Well, well, well. Do I spy some misbehaving ninja?" The voice that spoke from behind the mask was sneering and full of arrogance. He was clearly looking for a fight.

"Just getting the birthday boy home sir." Sakura was going to try for the short and simple route.

"He certainly seems as if he has been _enjoying_ himself." the ROOT operative stroked his masked chin. "Here I thought the Hokage had forbidden ninja from drinking."

"Oh no sir, he's just not feeling well. He ate some bad tempura."

"I don't think I like your tone." The agent said, taking a step forward. It was a ridiculous accusation really as Sakura hadn't taken any type of tone with him.

"That's enough now." The second ROOT ninja stepped between Sakura and the advancing man. "Haruno Sakura here is one of only two women to hold the rank of jounin, she knows exactly the punishment they would face for breaking the Hokage's decree. If she says he is sick from spoiled tempura then it is the truth. She isn't the risk taking type."

This seemed to dissuade the more brash ROOT agent causing him to pause and consider his partner's words carefully while Sakura stared wide-eyed at her rescuer's back. She knew that voice.

"Tch," The ROOT agent spat out after a tense moment. "Whatever, let's get out of here already." Clearly annoyed that he'd lost out on some good fun the agent sulked off into the night, intent on finding another mouse to play with. God help whoever he found.

"Thank you Sai.." Sakura whispered softly, pouring all her gratitude into those words. Beside her Kakashi continued to sway but he seemed to have stopped his senseless babble.

"Be more discreet next time. I might not be around to help you again." Then just as quickly as he had appeared, he was lost into the darkness again.

Deciding to take no more chances, the kunoichi pulled the much taller jounin onto her back and made a dash for his apartment. A vomit covered shoulder would be a small price to pay to avoid another run in with any ROOT agents.

Luckily Sakura avoided a vomit covered shoulder, it ended up on his living room floor instead.

"Pakkun will eat it later." Kakashi grunted as he staggered towards the bedroom. Not being in the mood to clean up the mess she walked away from the puddle, deciding to let the pug deal with it on his own.

In the bedroom she found Kakashi curled on the bed, laying on his side and clutching the comforter between his arms. His cloths laid crumpled on the floor.

"Oh Sakura…oh Sakura…where is my lovely Sakura-chaaan~" What was supposed to be a sing-song voice come out sounding more like a horsed juvenile who'd just begun puberty.

Pulling off her shirt, the cherry blossom tossed it over her shoulder and onto his face in an attempt to muffle the offending voice.

"MmmM." He took a strong breath in. "I can smell her but I can't see her! Oh where is my lovely Sa~ku~ra~!"

"Open your eyes and take the shirt off your head Kakashi. Really, you're not an invalid." It wasn't that he was annoying her with his drunk and impromptu lyrics, in fact she found it quite amusing that he was singing about her but she was still shaken up by the run in with ROOT. What _would _have happened if Sai hadn't of been there?

"Open my eyes you say?" His voice was much too close now for him to still be on the bed.

Turning around slowly, Sakura looked up into the unmasked face of her lover. It was not a face carved from magnificent beauty nor was it plain. Kakashi's face fell directly into the middle of the handsome category and the scar that ran down his cheek only served to grace it with a more exotic edge.

Out of habit her eyes followed the trail of that scar upwards but instead of meeting a closed lid she found herself staring into the swirling tomoe of the sharingan. Just like that he had caught her. Suddenly the room was plunged into shades of red and gray but Sakura didn't fight it, this wasn't the first time they had done this.

Reaching out he pulled Sakura flush against his body, ghosting touches along her lower back and behind. The small touches were enough to make her moan and shiver against him. When ever he used his sharingan like this all sensations were pushed to a point where they almost unbearable.

"Cheater.." She whispered against his lips as he licked and nibbled at hers greedily.

"Hn." was his only reply as his fingers found purchase in the flesh of her hips and he effortlessly lifted her upwards. Driven purely by instinct she wrapped her legs around his hips, gasping as she felt his warm length pressed against her inner thigh. Every touch of their bodies coaxed throaty moans from the cherry blossom and she could feel herself wet and ready. Burying her hands into his hair she shifted her hips and slowly began to slide his sex inside her.

With a sudden growl he pressed the medic-nin against the wall and took control, moving her hips roughly against his. He pushed forward until he was completely sheathed in her warmth and held her hips still despite her protests while he ground his pelvis against her clitoris. He repeated these movements again and again until she was screaming and clawing at his back in ecstasy, begging him to let her come. In this world Sakura could not reach her release until Kakashi let her, until then the pleasure would just continue to intensify and envelope the cherry blossom until she felt as if she might lose her sanity against the waves of pure bliss that crashed over her each time their bodies reunited with another.

He wouldn't keep her begging long, not this time.

His rhythm began to break down as his thrusts became more erratic and wild, primal grunts and moans mingling with Sakura's pleading cries. With a final thrust forward he released Sakura from his spell, in an almost dizzying fashion their positions changed. They were on the bed, Sakura riding his hips but before she could adjust to the change the dam Kakashi built finally burst and her pleasure roared through her, consumed her and swept her away into a lake of golden ecstasy.

In the throes of her pleasure Kakashi found his own burning release, crying out her name as he spilled his white hot seed inside her. Spent and exhausted Sakura collapsed onto his chest shivering and gasping , her limbs twitching involuntarily every time the Copy-nin ran his hands across her back.

Settling her head between his shoulder and neck the kunoichi let out a content sigh and closed her eyes, lulled to sleep by the steady beating of his heart against her chest. Kakashi made no attempt to move her, enjoying the feel of her heated, sweaty body pressed so intimately against him while his sex still pulsed faintly inside.

He continued to massage her back, refusing the hand sleep extended to him. For now he was content to lay there and take solace in the feel of her warm, living body against his own. It was the only thing he had left anymore.

* * *

**AN: **If I screwed up the ages I am terribly sorry. Form what I could figured Sakura was around 16 when the Pain destroys Konoha arc was occurring and this part of the story is set about two year after that, making Sakura 18. Kakashi, if math is to be believed, should be around 12 years older than her, putting him at 30.

If I'm wrong, let's just pretend I'm right. It's much more fun that way.


	3. Chapter 3

Danzo's reign over the village of Konohagakure was merciless and often times viewed as unjust but no one could argue the fact that under his rule Konoha was flourishing. Financially the village was stable and this was thanks to the mission quota all ninja were required to fulfill. The Hokage was indiscriminate in regards to what missions the village would take, often selling the services of the top shinobi to the highest bidder. Many of the more naive ninja of the land of fire had been forced to come to terms with what they were truly viewed as: tools.

Regardless of what the contents of the mission scroll were, the receiver could not reject their mission on any foundation. Doing so resulted in sever and swift punishment. At first many of the younger ninja tried to refuse their missions on ethical grounds. Danzo had these shinobi drug into the bowls of the Hokage tower and when they returned it was with an obedient attitude and a distant gaze in their eyes. Fear had forced the once proud ninja of the fire village into compliance, it was not only their own lives at risk but the lives of their loved ones and family. The Rokudaime had shown no qualms about taking innocent life to inspire obedience in his people. Each day the hope of release from Danzo's strings grew dimmer and no one dared speak of rebellion anymore. Besides, who would lead them? Naruto had left the village behind him and Kakashi, once the prime candidate to become Hokage, had bent his knee to the old man.

So in the face of adversity they did the only thing they could: adapt. Slowly the shinobi began to fall into a rhythm, they would rise with the sun and collect their mission scrolls, complete their missions and return to collect another. They could return to their homes to bathe and sleep between missions but aside from this the only time off the shinobi were granted was a one day leave given at a random point in the month. If one ignored the grueling work schedule, discrimination, and threats of torture, the stability was almost enjoyable. By behaving within the letter of the new laws attention from wandering ROOT members could be avoided. So with no other choice than despair the shinobi began to conform to the standards of their new society. Emotions were further repressed, opinions no longer voiced and they all fell into a mechanical grind.

Exhaustion was a common symptom among the fire ninja these days but being a medic-nin had it's advantages. Sakura was often able to stave off her fatigue better than most in her field without having to resort to solider pills. Such a skill was useful on days when she promised Kurenai to pick up her daughter from school. The kunoichi had worked out a strict pattern with her missions to help aid the struggling single mother as often as she could. Trotting through the civilian district had been uncomfortable for her at first, it was almost like walking into a completely different village. People would smile and wave to her, often stopping her along the way to engage in idol conversation. It was unnerving for the cherry blossom that these people could be so happy in such dire times. She often had to remind herself that the civilians experienced none of the hardship of the shinobi. Ignorance truly was bliss.

The school house was a large, almost church like building on the edge of the district. It was surrounded by a large field filled with wild flowers, half of which had been converted into a playground. Children were running rampant through the field, laughing and rolling through the grass in care-free abandon. No matter how depressed Sakura was feeling, this sight always lifted her spirits. Even if her world was burning at least some good was being born from it's ashes.

"Sakura-neesan!" cried an excited voice, belonging to the raven haired three year old running towards her.

"Akiko-chan!" Sakura replied, kneeling down and spreading her arms wide. "I missed you!."

Akiko plowed head first into the kunoichi's arms, giggling and babbling excitedly. "Me too! Me too!" she exclaimed.

Scooping the girl up, Sakura hugged her tightly, letting the child sit on her forearm as she entwined tiny arms around the cherry blossom's neck. "I made you a picture! Mama will give it to you!"

With a nod of acknowledgment to the girl's teacher, Sakura started off down the street while the child rushed to tell her everything that been going on while she was gone. "I also broke Schmellow's tail. Mama was so angry. I no mean to! But Sakura-neesan can fix it! So Schmellow won't have a crooked tail! Then he'll let me pet him again. Yeah?"

"I'm sure he'll forgive you in time." Sakura smiled reassuringly at Akiko. She would never understand why the girl had named her skinny, black short-haired cat "schmellow." He looked nothing like a marshmallow.

"Where are we going Neesan?"

"To the park, your mother said she'd meet us there before sun set." They were passing through the market square which served as the only connecting bridge between the two separate districts. It was always teeming with life, be it civilians shopping for groceries, ninja acquiring new armaments or tourists looking for souvenirs. Akiko loved to visit Ino's flower shop and sit in the large window, watching people and making up back stories for them as they walked by. Today however Kurenai wanted her daughter to engage in more physical activities, so they left the square behind them and started down the large, wooded path that lead to the community park.

"Aww, I wanted to see Kaka-san!" Sakura's lips twitched into a smile at her lovers nickname.

"I'm sorry, but he's away on a mission right now."

"Awwww." Akiko sulked for a few moments but her disappointment was soon forgotten as she squirmed uncomfortably in the medic-nin's arms, hiding her face against Sakura's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Slowing her walk she looked down at the child, frowning in confusion.

"I no like those kiddies.." Peeking out over Sakura's shoulder, she stared behind them for a few moments before hiding her face again.

Still confused as to what had caused the usually bold and outgoing girl to become so timid, the kunoichi stopped walking and turned her head following Akiko's line of sight.

Yards away from the path was a field lined by low, thick hedges on which rows of young shinobi practiced, instructed by a masked ROOT captain. They moved through their drills monotonously with blank expressions and unblinking eyes. Looking into their small, pale faces sent a chill up Sakura's spine. No child's eyes were meant to look so vacant. Trying to shrug off her discomfort the medic-nin resumed her walk towards the park but the empty faces of the young children followed her. A few months ago she heard Danzo had resumed classes at the new ninja academy but she had avoided the new school as if it were diseased. The sight she had seen today appeared to indicate as much.

"They make me nervous.." Akiko said softly. "They look at you...but they no see you. They stand in the rain and you can see their goosebumps but they no feel the rain. Mama told me ninja used to be honorable people but not anymore. She said I should no trust any ninja I dun know, that most fire shinobi are just dogs now."

"Your mama is right Akiko, but be careful who you say that around." She rubbed her nose against the girls. "Now, put it out of your mind and let's have some fun!"

With a brilliant smile Akiko jumped down from her arm and dashed off towards the playground, waving excitedly to a friend she had spotted on the seesaw. Sakura however couldn't quite let go of what she had just witnessed. As she watched Akiko tackle the boy off the seesaw and hug him tightly, the cherry blossom was suddenly thankful of the discrimination against female's in the field. Kurenai's daughter would never have to experience the horrors of the shinobi world and the Hokage's new training procedures. Though if she had been born with a blood line limit...not even her gender would have saved her.

The fingers on her right hand gave a sudden twitch, drawing jade orbs to her digits. Blood was splattered across her pale skin. The sight made her eyes widen, caused her breathing to hitch. Closing her eyes she shook her head.

"Easy Sakura...It's not real." Slowly she forced her breathing to a normal pace. Clenching her fist a few times she opened her eyes and looked down at the offending appendage. The blood was gone. With a sigh of relief she looked back to the playground. Akiko was playing happily on the seesaw with her boy friend, no doubt chatting about her misadventures with Schmellow. Idly she scanned the playground, looking over the other children and the parents watching them with pride and amusement. Sakura recognized none of the faces here, so when her eyes caught sight of one that she did, it took her by surprise. What startled her even more was who it belonged to.

Standing at the very edge of the grounds, almost hidden by the shade of the trees was Anko. There was no sign of her usual daring demeanor however. Her shoulders were hunched while her features where set in a pained expression and she seemed to be staring off into the distance. Immediately anxiety welled up in Sakura's stomach. The medic-nin had seen the snake-wielder like this only one other time, when she had left the Hokage's chamber with her title of Jounin and locked eyes with the woman for a brief moment as she was summoned into the same room Sakura had just vacated.

_Fueled by curiosity Sakura decided wait for Anko to return from Danzo's chamber. When she did it was with her head held high in pride and a swagger in her step, it was nothing but a front however. Her eyes reflected all the pain and suffering she was truly experiencing._

_"Anko...what did they-"_

_"So we're the only ones huh? Make sure to keep your chin up squirt. We've got reputation's to uphold."_

_She attempted to brush past Sakura, but the cherry blossom reached out and touched Anko's shoulder softly. When their eye's met again, the jounin's brown orbs were shining with unshed tears._

_"I did what I had to do. Someone has to give hope to the people." Her voice was strong and unwavering, it contrasted with the tear that snuck slowly down her cheek. "Hope is always worth fighting for. No matter what the cost."_

_This time she did brush the younger kunoichi aside, disappearing down the hallway._

Why was she here? And in such a state? Squinting slightly, Sakura noticed dark patches on her trench coat that could not be attributed to the shadow of the leaves. Slender fingers peaked out from a torn, dirty sleeve and with a start she realized there was blood dripping from the tips of Anko's fingers. All at once her chest constricted as if she had been punched in the solar plexus, the image struck far to close to home. It also dawned her that Anko was not simply staring into space. Her gaze was steadily fixed across the playground, watching someone.

There was no blossoming epiphany or sudden realization, just the undeniable knowledge that Akiko was in danger. With all the agility expected of a top-ranking jounin Sakura was across the playground and holding the girl in her arms. Pivoting on her ball of her foot, she was ready to make her escape when a hand clamped firmly on her shoulder.

"Don't...you'll just get yourself killed."

"Anko...What have you done?"

"Neesan..?" Akiko's voice quivered with fear.

"Please Sakura...they're already here. Don't fight. Please."

_"Please Sakura!...please."_

A second voice had imposed itself over Anko's causing Sakura's hand to twitch once again. Whirling around, the pink-haired kunoichi snarled at the snake-wielder in anger but Anko only stared back at her with pleading brown eyes. That chocolate gaze that looked so much like _hers._

"Haruno-san." The subject of the medic-nin's glare was switched to a lanky ROOT captain standing in the middle of the playground flanked by several of his lower ranking lackeys. Around them civilians stared and gathered up their children, making haste from the scene of what they were sure would be a battle. Anko's hand remained fixed on Sakura's shoulder.

"You are ordered by the Hokage to turn Yūhi Akiko over to my possession where she will be escorted to speak with him."

"Why?" Sakura demanded. She tried to keep the anger out of her voice, it would only serve to get her in trouble. Anko's grip tightened.

"Neesan, I don't want to go!" Akiko clung to kunoichi, shaking in fear.

"These orders were handed down from the Hokage himself, are you daring to question them?"

Saying nothing she continued to glare at the captain. She could make a run for it, but what good what that do? She wouldn't make it past the gates. Maybe she was over-reacting? Maybe Akiko wasn't in danger and Danzo only wanted to speak with her for a purely innocent reason. Looking down at the cowering child in her arms, Sakura stroked her head softly.

"Akiko.." nausea threatened to over take the medic-nin, "Go with the Captain. Do you know what an honor it is to be summoned by the Hokage himself?" She tried to smile. "You'll be safe with them and when you get back I'll be waiting for you at your house okay?"

Wide, red eyes stared up at Sakura. "You promise...You promise I will be safe?"

"I promise Akiko." She hugged the girl tightly then set her on the ground, kissing her forehead. "Everything will be okay." Sakura affirmed as she patted her head gently.

With only a small amount of apprehension Akiko went to the ROOT captain, smiling up at him even if it was an unsure one. Surprisingly the Captain was gentle with the child, lifting her up gingerly and rubbing her shoulder reassuringly.

"You're compliance is appreciated Haruno-san." With a quick hand signal the squad dispersed from the playground. As they disappeared from view Akiko waved silently to Sakura who could only bring herself to smile in return.

"Sakura.." Anko began once the ROOT squad was out of sight.

Immediately a fist smashed into Anko's cheek sending her to the ground. Sakura's eyes shone with fury, her arms shaking in barely constrained violence.

"Who's blood is it?" the cherry blossom demanded.

"Just let me explain.."

"Who's blood, Anko?"

Looking away, sadness crept onto the older jounin's face once more. "Kurenai's..."

"You bitch!" Instantly Sakura was on her, pinning her to the ground and repeatedly slapping Anko across her face. "She was your friend! Your comrade! You grew up together, she trusted you!" Tears were running down her cheeks without notice as she continued to yell.

Anko made no effort to fight off Sakura's attack. "It was a mission...I had to do it. You know we can't refuse missions."

"Facing execution is far better than killing your friends!" she cried.

"If I died, you would be alone in this Sakura!"

"I don't care!" Her fierce blows came to an abrupt end." You didn't want to die, is that it? Why? So you could keep "hope" alive? There is no hope anymore Anko!"

"That's not true! You don't mean that!" For the first time Anko raised her voice in protest.

"It is true. You need to open your eyes and realize that." Slowly Sakura pulled herself off of the kunoichi. Anko's face was a bloody mess, pieces of cheek bone were sticking through the flesh.

"What did he want with her?" a numb calm was settling over Sakura.

"I..I don't know. I wasn't privy to that information.."

Shaking her head the medic-nin wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and started away from the playground, leaving the snake-wielder broken and bleeding behind her.

"I'm sorry..." Anko called after her.

Sakura froze, her hands clenching as anger threatened to consume her once more. "No..you don't say sorry for this. You don't have the right to apologize. You will find no forgiveness, not here."

With every step away from the park the medic-nin's mood grew darker. She wanted to go to the Hokage tower and demand to know what would happen to Akiko but she knew what punishment waited for those who dared question the Rokudaime. Who was she to accuse Anko of being a coward? At this moment she had the power to save a little girl yet she made no deviation in her course towards Kurenai's home. Execution as a traitor was a harder death to face than any that could happen on the battlefield.

Kurenai's home was a modest abode deep within the civilian district. Sakura always had an easier time finding it than Ino's house thanks to the beautiful garden of azaleas growing out front. There were more than just flowers waiting for her. Curled up on the front step was a large, black cat watching her approach intently. When she sat down next to the feline he gave a large yawn and stretch before sluggishly getting up and jumping into her lap where he snuggled against her stomach and began to purr. Absently she began to scratch behind his ear as she stared off into space, lost in her own depression.

As the day wore on, many of the neighbor's came out to inquire about her presence but she gave them no reply and soon enough the left them alone. Time passed slowly but eventually Sakura was left sitting in the darkness of the early morning hours. Why was she not surprised that Akiko hadn't returned home yet? The medic-nin knew that she would not be seeing the child again yet she stubbornly clung to hope. She had berated Anko earlier for still believing in hope, yet here she was clinging to it like a drowning woman.

"Go home, Sakura-san." the voice did not startle her, in fact she had sensed his approach moments before his arrival.

"What do they want with her Sai?" Her voice was gentle, she couldn't bring herself to be demanding.

"I'm sorry. You know I would tell you if I could."

His reply caused the tears she had been holding back since leaving the park to well up once more. Her bottom lip quivered as she pulled her legs to her chest and brought her forehead to rest on her knees. Beside her Schmellow meowed his concern at her suddenly distressed state.

"I hate this..." Sakura choked out.

"So do I." he replied softly. Turning her head she looked up at him, surprised at his admission. It had to be the truth, it was dangerous for a ROOT captain to admit to such things.

"Will I ever see her again..?"

"Maybe.." Sai said. "Only time will tell."

With a sigh the medic-nin rose from the step, picking up the skinny cat as she stood.

"I suppose Kakashi will just have to get used to you.." she whispered to the cat who merely looked at her with a perplexed expression.

"See you around Sai." She started away from the house but a hand on her arm stopped her. Looking up at Sai, she cocked her head. He was full of surprises tonight.

"It only takes one person to inspire change Sakura. The right person, but **one** none the less."

She gave no reply to his words other than a raised brow and a blank stare. He continued holding her arm for several moments before letting go and bowing to her. Sakura opened her mouth then closed it before returning the bow and disappearing in a swirl of smoke. For a long time Sai remained in front of Kurenai's house, staring at the azaleas. He had wanted to inspire confidence in his former teammate but she had reacted below his expectations. He had never thought Sakura, who had always burned so strongly with the will of fire, would break but it seemed as if this world had destroyed any trace of the girl he once knew. He hoped that one day she would find her passion again and lead her comrades out of this spoiled world Danzo had created. On an act of impulse he reached down and uprooted a group of flowers. It would be a shame to let such beautiful azaleas wither.


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't that Kakashi didn't like cats, he just didn't believe they could be trusted. Dogs were always so easy to understand, there was never an issue when it came to telling where their loyalties lie. Cats were harder to read and even when they rubbed up against him, purring contently, Kakashi could never shake the feeling that there was an ulterior motive behind it. So as he stared daggers down at the black pile of fur currently sleeping in his lap it wasn't personal, he was just expecting it to wake up at any moment and use his thigh as a scratching post.

"So..you and Sakura..?"

Kakashi's attention was drawn back to his surprise visitor. He wasn't particularly fond of Iruka's visits which were often full of awkward questions but he never turned the younger jounin away. Iruka was regularly gone from the village for months at a time on specialized missions to other shinobi nations. Answering a few questions was the least the copy-nin could do for him.

"Yeah, for a couple years now."

"How did you two end up together?" Frowning, Iruka cocked his head. It was clear from his expression that he didn't approve.

"She drugged me." Kakashi began to stroke Schmellow's back without notice.

Blinking, Iruka's brow furrowed as his lips formed a question. After a moment of thinking on it the man shook his head before looking away from the copy-nin. This was fine by Kakashi, he wasn't particularly fond of explaining that story.

"Naruto's really gone then..?" Iruka whispered.

"Unfortunately. He took a lot of the younger ones with him when he went. They're all in the bingo book now, expect for Naruto himself." This was another subject Kakashi didn't relish talking about but he expected the question.

"So it's true.." Iruka shifted, running a hand across his forehead. "Did..did Danzo really threaten to use the nine-tails against the other nations?"

Kakashi's hand began to dig into Schmellow's fur causing the feline to rouse and give a slightly annoyed meow at his white-haired pillow.

"It's true." the copy-nin replied in a terse tone. "The only reason he isn't in the bingo book is because Danzo doesn't want the other nations to know his trump card is gone."

"Knowing Naruto he's staying hidden for the same reasons. Konoha would surely be attacked after a threat like that if the other nations found out Naruto was gone." Iruka's tone was sad and soft, Kakashi's heart went out to him.

"Danzo always hated Naruto for being the Kyuubi's vessel yet he's not above using him for war. He's disgusting." Iruka looked back at Kakashi then. "Why do you just accept all this Kakashi? Why not do something about it?"

"There would be no point in a rebellion."

"I'm not talking about a rebellion. Why don't you just kill him?" Iruka asked.

Kakashi frowned. "You think killing a Kage would be so easy?"

"Damnit Kakashi, you could kill him and you know it!" Iruka's tone surprised the copy-nin. He had never heard him grow angry.

"No Iruka, I couldn't. Not on my own. Besides, I kill him and then what? I become Hokage and change things back to the way they were? What about all the ninja loyal to Danzo, and the new ones being trained in the academy right now? Chances are they would do the same thing to me and then the village would be back where it was." Kakashi's voice was dispassionate and cold.

"You don't know that. Maybe everyone who left would came back again and support you."

"If they aren't already dead." Kakashi reminded him.

Standing up suddenly, Iruka headed for the door. "What happened to you Kakashi? When did you become a dog?"

"I don't see the point in risking my life for a worthless cause. There is no one, no future generation, worth saving."

"How can you say that? How you can you think saving those children from Danzo isn't worth it? What about Akiko?"

"Those children are under going training at the academy right now. They are being molded into perfect little ROOT agents and once Danzo's done brain washing them there will be nothing we can do to save them. So like I said, they are not _worth _saving."

"And Akiko?" Iruka pressed.

Kakashi said nothing, merely turned his head to watch the rain as it continued to fall. It never seemed to stop raining anymore.

"Bastard." Iruka whispered before leaving, slamming the door loudly behind him. Schmellow jerked awake and let out another disgruntled meow at being awoken twice in the span of an hour. Jumping down from Kakashi's lap the feline padded away to find some food, leaving the white-haired jounin to his thoughts.

He had thought of killing Danzo on more than one occasion but what purpose would it serve? The damage to the village had already been done and the best any ninja could hope for now was to live out the rest of their career undisturbed by ROOT agents and a warm body to keep them company at night. A tingle of guilt spread through Kakashi at that thought.

Sakura was not simply an outlet for his physical needs. However he had never found a name to give to their relationship. They cared about and took care of each other and that had been enough for them to exist together. Sometimes Kakashi would look at her and be consumed with an urge to take her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her. But then their eyes would meet and he would see once more how jaded they had grown and the moment would pass. In reality it was better this way. They had a good thing going, why ruin it with a sentiment that might not be returned? Things were better as they were.

It was the same thing Kakashi told himself every time he had an opportunity to kill Danzo that he didn't take.


	5. Chapter 5

Once it became apparent that Akiko was gone from her reach Sakura began throwing herself into missions. It may not have been the best coping mechanism but what else did a shinobi have? Being a jounin allowed her access to all levels of scrolls but she had no interest in throwing her life away on an S-class mission. Instead the cherry blossom took as many lower ranking missions as allowed then disappeared for days on end. When all the missions were completed she would return and start the cycle over again.

Almost no one saw the medic-nin anymore, including her lover who was growing concerned for her health. In the fleeting moments he had seen Sakura he noticed she was looking thinner, paler. He had hoped that she would have come to terms with her loss in the first few months but now he feared that she was on a path to self destruction. It was time for him to intervene.

He stood waiting for her return in front of Konoha's main gates staring idly at the Hokage moment. The sky was a steely gray, the wind bitter. Despite wearing his heaviest flak jacket and a thick wool scarf the breeze seemed to blow right through him. It looked like a normal, overcast day but Kakashi could smell the snow in the air. He was betting they had at least a foot on the ground come the end of the day.

So absorbed in weather prediction, the elite shinobi barely had time to react as a body crashed against his. Sakura had appeared in a cloud of her usual pink smoke but the medic-nin hadn't made it one step before her knees gave out, toppling her sideways into the silver-haired jounin. Activity broke out around the gate as the guards came rushing forward, shouting questions to Kakashi as he carefully lifted the unconscious cherry blossom into his arms.

"Is she injured?" Kotetsu shouted as he ran from his post.

"No, just exhausted." Kakashi said as he cradled her against his chest. With his free hand he began to explore in the pockets of her flak jacket.

"What's going on here?" Just as Kakashi silently predicated, a ROOT captained appeared in a swirl of autumn leaves.

"Haruno-san collapsed upon returning to the village." Withdrawing his hand from one of her pockets, the silver-haired jounin tossed a hand full of mission scrolls to the captain.

"It is not her day off." Catching the scrolls with ease the Captain tucked them into his own vest. "She will be expected to report back to duty."

Growling in annoyance, Kakashi finally looked away from Sakura's pale face to fix the Captain with a stern glare.

"If you check her mission records you will find that she has not taken her assigned day off in three months. Also, all shinobi are entitled to a one-day sick leave every two months. Something that Haruno-san has not used since the law was passed. There is also the fact that since the academy students have been put in charge of D and C-rank mission, we now have a ratio of 2 shinobi per 1 mission scroll. So even if Haruno-san reported for duty, which she won't be, there is a good chance there will be no missions." His voice was cold and heavy with the unspoken dare for the root agent to challenge him. The Captain, while standing strong for the sake of appearance, was struggling not to shrink back from the bite of Kakashi's words.

"Now," the copy-nin continued as he took a step towards the ROOT agent. "You can either walk away, turn the mission scrolls in and explain the situation to the Hokage or I can kick your ass, pin a note to your back and have you dragged to Danzo-sama. Which would you prefer?"

Shifting uncomfortably the Captain looked from Kakashi to the gate guards. Usually such a display of defiance wouldn't go unpunished however this was Kakashi, the master of over 1,000 jutsu and former candidate for the position of Hokage. Stronger captains than himself had butted heads and backed down from this man in the past. Stepping away from the jounin the ROOT agent tilted his head slightly.

"I will inform the Rokudaime of Haruno's condition. If he has any questions, I'll be sure to direct him to you." Though he was backing down, the Captain made it clear to Kakashi he would not be taking the fall for him.

With a snort of indifference towards the ROOT captain, Kakashi shrugged off a concerned Kotetsu and quickly made the hand seals for his teleportation jutsu. A feat that was admittedly difficult for the copy-nin while cradling his unconscious lover. Within a heartbeat he back in the apartment he and Sakura had been sharing for well over a year now. Looking down at the girl, the jounin could not help the frown that caused his brows to furrow. What had she been thinking? He could tell the cherry blossom had been neglecting herself, judging by how light she was in his arms. Her skin was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes, betraying the fact that she had not been sleeping properly.

This was completely unlike his lover, who had always been very serious about maintaining her health and body. He could understand if she was depressed over the loss of Akiko but why now, after all they had suffered through so far, had she appeared to have finally given up?

Laying her down on their bed Kakashi brushed her pink hair to the side, staring down into a gaunt face he barely recognized. She was clearly suffering and it pained him to no end that she had chosen to throw herself into missions instead of sharing her pain with him. Slowly, he ran the pad of his thumb across her cheek. When she woke, he was going to have a serious conversation with her. After all they had suffered through together, she should have realized by now that he was her partner in pain.

In her sleep, Sakura's eyes fluttered.

_She was staring down at the mission scroll, reading it's contents for the tenth time. Why had she expected anything different? Danzo was known for his sick sense of humor and forcing her to sleep with her former teacher certainly fit the bill for sick. If she thought she would survive the journey, the cherry blossom would have headed to Suna after the second time she read the scroll but Sakura knew she stood no chance of making it to the desert before being hunted down by Danzo's elite ROOT dogs._

_Closing the scroll, Sakura hung her head. She wasn't sure if the wetness on her thighs was from tears or the rain that had just started to fall._

_**Another image flashed across Sakura's dream, a figure hanging from a tree in training field nine. **_

Fear welled up inside the sleeping, pink-haired girl as she rolled onto her side, curling her knees to her chest.

_The night club was full of smoke, it reeked of stale bodies and alcohol. It was one of the seedier taverns in town but one of the few that dared to remain open during the early hours of the morning. From her seat in the booth, she could clearly see Kakashi sitting at the bar, staring into the distance as he sipped on something from a small glass. By her count this was his fifth drink and the slight sway to his body told her he was indeed intoxicated._

_"Sakura, what are you staring at?" _

_Turning her head, the medic-nin gave Ino a soft smile before nodding towards the bar. "Is that Kakashi-san?"_

_Wrinkling her nose, Ino turned her head and followed Sakura's gaze. "You had any doubts it was him?" _

_With a shrug, Sakura rose from her seat and placed some money on their table. "I think I'll go say hello. Don't wait up for me."_

_Walking away from her blonde friend, the cherry blossom did her best to remain calm. He may be drunk but he was still Kakashi, feared sharingan wielder and elite shinobi. She had to play her hand carefully or she would fail. Failure was not something she could afford, the medic-nin was almost out of time to complete her mission.  
_

_Sliding onto the bar stool next to him, she gave him a playful punch in the shoulder. "Hello Kakashi."_

_"Sakura!" He spun around on his stool and grinned through his mask, waving a little more enthusiastically at her then he normally would. She couldn't help but smile._

_"I thought I'd join you for a drink."_

_"Mmm" Kakashi said, swaying slightly as he continued to spin, "I dunno Sakura, I think it's time for me to head home."_

_"Aww, Kakashi! You wouldn't leave without having one birthday drink with me, would you?" _

_"Birfday?" He leaned his head backwards and squinted at the ceiling. "But...it's not...I thought.." he looked at her then, slightly confused._

_"I ought to know when my birthday is!" She joked with him, grinning widely. Inside her blood had turned to ice, she was hoping he would be to drunk to remember the date._

_"Well...yesh..yesh you should!" He laughed suddenly then, a loud jubilant sound that Sakura had never heard from the man before._

_"Bartender!" He shouted as he jumped from his stool. 'Two shots please!"_

_**The scene unfolding in the darkness of Sakura's unconscious mind flickered again. She was standing in a dark room, lit only with a single, dim light bulb that buzzed insistently. Chains were the rooms primary decorations and the medic-nin could not tell if the walls had been painted a brownish red or if it was simply dried blood. In the center of the room was a table, on it laid a struggled figure covered by a dirty sheet. Set up next to the table was ultrasound equipment. Chewing on her lip, she began to grow nervous. What was that doing in a torture room?**_

_They collapsed onto the mattress, hot kisses passing between the pair. Every few moments Kakashi would pause and question her. His mind was fuzzy, he couldn't exactly remember who he was taking to bed with him but her kisses were like fire on his skin. She pushed him roughly, forcing him onto his back. He let out a startled gasp as she began to trail those delicious kisses down his neck and chest. Opening his eyes as he fisted a hand full of her hair, his lust filled moan caught in his throat._

_Pink. It was pink hair. Sakura..had pink hair. He squinted, trying to focus on the woman currently licking her way past his belly button. Why couldn't he seem to complete a thought? Why was his skin so sensitive to her touches? He'd engaged in drunken sex before, but never had the copy-nin been become so fuzzy that he couldn't remember who it was he was sleeping with._

_"S-sakura?" he managed to choke out. If he had guessed wrong the worst he would suffer was a slap he wouldn't remember._

_'Shhh' a husky voice soothed as she took the tip of his penis in her mouth and began to suck gently._

_**Jade eyes stared at the monitor in front of her in disbelief. How was he expecting her to react? The medic-nin's heart pounded against her ribs, fluttering like a caged bird. **_

_**"So then, you confirm the diagnosis?" Danzo's voice cut through her mind, breaking the spell the black and white monitor held over her.**_

_**Instead they fell upon a pale faced girl who stared at her with large, brown eyes full of fear and pain. Her long brown hair, usually done up in twin buns, was pulled loose and matted with twigs and dirt. A sealing tag was taped across her mouth, preventing the woman from speaking but Sakura saw every unspoken word reflected in doe-like eyes.**_

_**"I.." What was she suppose to say? There was no way she could lie...not at this point.**_

_**"Excuse me?" Danzo demanded.**_

_**Closing her eyes, Sakura drew in a shaky breath.**_

_**"Yes Hokage-sama. She is pregnant."**_

_**"Hmm" Danzo began, a twisted smile forming on his lips. "And did this particular Kunoichi have permission to conceived?"**_

_**"N-no Hokage-sama." In her head, Sakura began to scream. (No, no, please don't...don't ask me ..)**_

_**"You will terminate the pregnancy then." **_

_Kakashi's body was unmoving beneath hers as she rode his hips fast and hard. Every few moments the copy-nin groaned unconsciously as he stared, unseeing, at the ceiling. Her poison had finally taken complete control, leaving his body subject to her whim. Sakura had made love on several occasions, but never before had she out right fucked anyone. That was the only word that could describe what she was doing to her former sensei. That, and rape. _

_Sickness suddenly washed over the cherry blossom, causing her rhythm to falter. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes and tried to ground herself, tried to remind herself why she was doing this. Shifting, she placed her hands against his toned stomach to balance herself and resume her rhythm with renewed vigor. She could feel his body beginning to tense._

_**Suddenly the stomach her hand pressed against was not so toned. It was softer, smoother and covered in the blood. The blood ran down from the woman's chest, dripping from a wound inflicted by the ROOT hunters during her capture. It pooled around the medic-nin's hand where it laid against the helpless kunoichi's stomach. Soft, blue chakra glowed around the edges of Sakura's hand but it was not being used to heal the ROOT's powerless victim, instead it was stealing the life from the baby that had started to grow inside her womb.**_

_**Tears ran down the cherry blossom's cheeks as she felt the unborn child's heartbeat shutter to a standstill. Her body gave an involuntary shutter of it's own. **_

_**"It..is done Hokage-sama.."**_

_**"Very good Haruno-san." His voice was thick with amusement. "Tell me Haruno...are those tears?"**_

_**"N-no Hokage-sama." Sakura managed to squeak out. "It is..very hot down here."**_

_**"Would you lie to your Hokage?" His amusement only seemed to grow.**_

_**"No Hokage-sama." She was staring at the concrete floor now, willing her body to stop shaking.**_

_**"Mmm, very well Haruno." Shuffling slowly, he came to stand next to her. Raising his hand, he began to stroke her hair much the way one would stroke a dog's head. Without warning, his hand fisted in her hair and jerked her head backwards, forcing her to stare into a face twisted with delirium.**_

_**"You did very good to obey your Hokage. All Kunoichi should look to as you a role-model!" He begin laughing uncontrollably as he released her hair.**_

_**"You may go." Danzo snapped. Like a switch had been flipped, he was suddenly serious again.**_

_**She moved quickly, intent on escaping from the horrors of that room as soon as possible. Passing through the door way, Sakura didn't pause to cast a backwards glance at the woman left sprawled across the cold, steel table. She couldn't look back, not without risking the wrath of her Hokage and possibly finding herself on one of those table, albeit for a different purpose. Shuttering again, she hung her head and ran. **_

_**"I'm sorry Ten-ten.." she whispered to the dirty walls. "I am so sorry."**_

Without warning Sakura jerked awake, startling both the silver-haired jounin and the black cat in his lap. Vaguely Sakura register she was at home, in her bed but then nausea rolled through her and she was up and sprinting for the bathroom. Even after violently emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet it continued to churn unpleasantly. Shaking and gasping for breath, the cherry blossomed pressed her cheek against the cool porcelain and was rewarded with a small reprieve from nausea. After a moment, a cool towel was draped across her neck and a large hand began rubbing circles slow along her back.

"Feeling better?" Kakashi asked softly.

"No.." Sakura groaned out miserably.

Strong arms wrapped around her, hugging her to Kakashi's chest. Closing her eyes she focused on the feel of his heart beat against her back, using it's steady rhythm as an anchor to calm her own. It had been months since she had dreamed of Ten-ten and the atrocities she had been forced to commit against the girl. Surely the cosmos was punishing her. Of all the night's to dream of the former member of Team Guy, it had to be _this _evening the nightmares returned.

"Kakashi.." Sakura's voice was suddenly unsteady as her breathing began to hitch once more.

Hugging her tighter, he brought his head to rest against the back of her neck. "Shhhh, I'm here"

"No..." the medic-nin struggled to speak. She was beginning to shake again.

"Sakura...What's wrong?" He urged her gently.

Clenching her hands into fists, she felt another wave of sickness wash over her as she managed to spit out the words.

"I'm pregnant."


	6. Chapter 6

It was a simple statement of fact. One that wasn't even that hard to comprehend. At this very moment a living being, a union of DNA from himself and Sakura, was growing inside of her womb. He should have been happy, but the tingling sensation that spread across his skin was not from elation. It was the result of his blood running cold with absolute dread. He sat there on the bathroom floor, holding his lover as she continued to shake, frozen. He couldn't move, couldn't breath. There was only one thought he could focus on: If the Hokage found out Sakura would be tortured and the pregnancy brutally terminated. Though the medic-nin had never told him about the day she had been called to the bowls the Hokage tower, he knew well what happened. He had been present for several similar events himself.

"I thought you were on birth control?" His voice was small, weak. He'd never heard himself sound so pathetic before.

"I-I am. Though it does have a marginally s-small failure r-rate."

"Hn."

Gathering Sakura in his arms the white-haired jounin lifted her up from the tile floor. As he carried her back to the bedroom, he began to gather his thoughts.

"How far along are you?"

"A month, give or take a week." She sounded tired.

"How long have you known?" His tone was flat and even. He needed all the facts before he could formulate a plan.

Sakura was silent for several moments before whispering, "Two weeks.."

Kakashi frowned as he set her on the bed, pulling the comforter over her emaciated body.

"And you haven't been taking care of yourself, have you?" He asked the question even though the answer was obvious.

Shame danced across Sakura's features, she couldn't bring herself to look her lover in the eye. "I thought...I t-thought maybe...if I.." Her eyes began to fill with tears.

"If you didn't take care of yourself you would miscarry?" Sighing he sat down next to her, resting a hand on hers.

A slight nodding of her head was her only response.

"Get some sleep Sakura, you need it."

"But Kakashi! We need to do something! I have to get ri-" A finger against her lips stole away the rest of her words.

"_We_ won't be getting rid of the baby." He stated softly. Sakura's eyes darkened with confusion but he kept his finger against her mouth to stop anymore protest she may have. Was that a flicker of hope Kakashi saw in her eyes?

"The first thing that needs to happen is _you_ getting some proper rest." Removing his finger from her lips, her began to stroke her hair slowly.

"Kakashi...I'm scared."

"I know Sakura, I am to." It was the truth. He couldn't remember a point in his life when he had been as afraid as he was now. But it wasn't fear for himself, it was fear for the young woman whom had become such an integral part of his life and happiness.

Such a simple admission of truth seemed to sooth Sakura, enough at least for her to fall into a light slumber. Once the jounin was positive she had slipped into a restful sleep he was up and moving around the apartment as quickly as he could. Taking care to make no noise to disturb his slumbering cherry blossom. Grabbing both their packs from the closet, he began filling them with all the supplies necessary for a long journey. He didn't know where they would be going yet, but he knew it had to be as far away from the Leaf Village as possible. It was foolishness really, to try and escape from the village when he hadn't even formulated a plan, but necessary. Active kunoichi were forced to under go pregnancy testing every month. Sakura might to be able to fool the test for the first few months, but afterward some very noticeable physical changes would begin that would require elaborate explaining.

Tenten, the poor girl, had tried to hide her pregnancy from ROOT. A slip in her diligence however had cost her the life of her unborn child, and her sanity. He remembered the day she had been released from the Hokage tower. She looked so lost, confused and broken. Later that day, Sakura, Kakashi and Guy had found her hanging from a tree in field nine. He had never heard Guy cry out in such anguish, and he had never seen Sakura collapse into a pure hysterical mess. They were some the strongest shinobi Kakashi knew and both of them had been reduced to sobbing piles of despair at the sight of her swaying form. He never thought he could hate Danzo more than he did, but as he cut Tenten from the tree and gingerly laid her stiff body across the grass, he felt his hatred for the old war hawk grow into something more, something...darker.

The memory brought a chill to his body and renewed his belief that running was their only option. But as he began to shove summoning scrolls into his pack, a treacherous voice whispered in the back of his mind. This was not their only option, there was another. One that wasn't suicidal.

Terminating the pregnancy would solve all their problems. Done discreetly, no one would be any wiser to existence of the small life inside the medic-nin, then Sakura wouldn't have to suffer at the hands of Danzo. He knew it was the easier way, the _safer_ way but the thought of following such a course of action filled him with burning rage and distaste. That was _his_ blood growing inside her, his **legacy**.

That final thought made him blink. Where had it come from? Frowning, he squashed it back into his subconscious. There was no point examining why they would run instead of terminating. No matter where the examination of his thoughts led him, they would still be running come sundown. For now it was in his best interest to simply ignored them and focused on the task at at hand.

Once he was statified with the contents of both packs, Kakashi formed the appropriate hand seals to summon Pakkun and Bisuke. Pakkun was surprised to find himself summoned along side the other dog, usually his master only called for him alone these days.

"Kakashi, what is wrong?" Pakkun inquired, an uneasy feeling settling over the pug.

The Copy-nin did not answer his summon instead he grabbed a pen and piece of paper from his desk and began to write. Once finished, Kakashi bit into his thumb and allowed a small drop of blood fall onto the note. Placing his palm over the stained paper, it began to glow and crackle as it was engulfed by his chakra. Once the note began to hiss, the white-haired jounin removed it from the desk and brought it to Pakkun. The small dog eyed the paper as if it were poison.

"What is going on?" For his master to use such a seal...Pakkun knew this was a very dangerous situation.

"I can't tell you that right now Pakkun. But I need to you to take this note to our contact. You need to make sure the contact, and only the contact, gets this note. If it is a Hensojutsu, or if you are attacked along the way, the message will destruct." Kakashi's voice was hard steel.

"That would kill me." Pakkun spoke with slight surprise.

"I know.." Kakashi said softly.

With a deep breath, Pakkun bowed his head to Kakashi and took the note. "Whatever mess you are in Kakashi, know that I will always stand beside you." with that the pug vanished into smoke.

Bisuke, who had remained silent through the exchange, turned expectant eyes to Kakashi who wrote and sealed another note.

"Take this to Guy, as you saw, it is sealed in the same manner as the one I gave Pakkun."

Bisuke nodded and took the paper from his master. "If I die, it will be a death that I deserve, for it means I have failed my master!" With a dramatic bow, Bisuke disappeared.

Returning to the closet, Kakashi pulled out an old, dusty box. From it he withdrew several of his old ANBU uniforms. Having enter at such a young age, the jounin had found himself outgrowing uniforms constantly. His oldest pair, slightly out dated in style, he was certain would fit Sakura while he still had several that fit him. He spent the next hour digging through various pieces of armor and accessories that would serve to protect them the best without hindering their movement. The last thing he added to Sakura's new outfit were her medical apron and pouch.

Rocking back on his heels he surveyed the outfits before gathering the rest of his old ANBU equipment and sealing it into a scroll which he promptly shoved into his pack. With nothing left to distract him, Kakashi settled on the bed next to a dozing Sakura, staring at his hands. There were four hours left until sundown. Four hours for him to think of a plan. Somehow, he didn't think those four hours would be enough.


End file.
